


Christmas Future

by thecolouryes



Category: Primeval
Genre: Children, Christmas, christmas wishlist
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-12-24
Updated: 2009-12-24
Packaged: 2017-11-20 08:46:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 1,128
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/583444
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thecolouryes/pseuds/thecolouryes
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The kids we know Connor and Abby will have one day are just like their parents. Sharing their Christmas wishlists with friends is a little unusual.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Steven Temple, Age 8

"What did you ask Santa for?" his best friend Max asks. Steven knows his parents told him Never Tell Anyone What We Do, but telling Max what he wants for Christmas isn't the same as telling him what his parents do, right? It's not like he's asking for an  _Anomaly_  or something.

"A dinosaur," Steven says. Max waits like he thinks Steven is going to get more specific, like 'the plastic dinosaur that talks in that commercial on the telly,' but Steven doesn't say anything else.

"What kind of dinosaur?" Max has to ask.

"A Compsognathus," Steven answers, taking his time though the tough name. "Mummy showed me one once. They're really cool. They're furry and have this really cool striped tail."

"But why do you want just a plain old dinosaur? They're boring. You should have asked for that talking one that's on the telly."

"It's not just a plain old dinosaur, though! It's a  _real, live dinosaur_." Max looks at Steven with a very funny look.

"Come off it, you can't get a  _real_  dinosaur for Christmas," he says. "They're all dead."

"No, they're not!" Steven protests.

"Yes, they are!" Max and Steven's argument draws in Steven's mother. He runs to her for reassurance that he's right.

"Mummy, Max said the dinosaurs are all dead," he tells her.

"He's right," she says, giving him a hug for comfort. "There aren't any dinosaurs alive today."

Steven is about to protest, but he's noticed that she has on her I Know I'm Telling A Lie But I Have To Because Other People Can't Find Out face. "Okay," he says sadly. "But what about my Christmas present?"

"I'll talk about that later," she says. "Would you boys like some hot chocolate?"


	2. Kayla Temple, Age 12

"What's the most ridiculous thing you've ever asked for for Christmas?" Maria asks. Kayla is at her house, helping her trim the tree, but they finished an hour ago. Kayla  _has_  called her parents, but they told her they were 'busy with work stuff,' and Maria's parents invited her to stay for supper, so she's staying at Maria's house for another while.

Kayla thinks about the question and blushes, remembering a wealth of ridiculous wishes. "One year, I asked for a sabre-tooth kitten," she admits.

"Why on Earth…?"

"I always wanted a kitten, and they seemed so cool," Kayla explains. Maria might have found this odd, except for the fact that Kayla's whole family seemed more than a little odd, and all obsessed – to varying degrees, but still obsessed – with ancient monsters. "Then, I found out how deadly they really are and changed my mind," Kayla continues, leaving out the part about her first-hand experience with one.

"You are so weird," Maria teases. "What did you ask for next, a dinosaur?"

"Actually," Kayla begins. Maria raises her eyebrows. "What? Wouldn't it be cool to have a Pteranodon that could fly you places?"

Maria shakes her head. "Your whole family is so obsessed with monsters," she says.

"That's not true!" Kayla protests.

"It is, too! And you know it. The most ridiculous thing anyone in  _my_  family has ever asked for is a trip to Antarctica, and that was just because Sam really liked penguins, and he was six. But  _everyone_  in your family has probably asked for at least  _some_  type of prehistoric something every year!"

"That's not true either!" Kayla retorts. "My mum asked for a new hair drier this year."

Maria raises her eyebrows again. "Probably to fend off the dinosaurs," she mutters.

"No," Kayla says, but it's feeble: her dad has, once again, stolen her Mum's hair drier to make a robot. "Anyway, that's not the point."

"No?" Maria asks. "Then what  _is_  the point?"

Kayla thinks about this for a moment. "I… don't know."

"See?"

"Oh, come off it, Maria, I'm sure you have asked for some crazy things."

"Nothing  _nearly_  as crazy as a sabre-toothed tiger!"

"That was one time! And I was seven!"

"Supper's ready, girls!" Maria's mum calls. The two friends look at each other.

"I asked for a unicorn once," Maria admits. Kayla laughs.

"See, we all have our crazy wishes."


	3. Nathan Temple, Age 15

"Why won't you tell me what you want for Christmas?" Julia asks. "I don't feel like your proper mate, not getting you anything, but you haven't given me the slightest idea what you want."

"You'd laugh at me," Nathan admits, a blush tingeing his cheeks. Julia laughs.

"I'm sure it can't be  _that_  ridiculous," she replies. Nathan shakes his head.

" _I'm_  sure it can, and this is  _me_  we're talking about."

"How does it being you change anything?" Nathan stares at her incredulously.

"Have you not  _met_  my family?" he asks.

"Well, yes," she answers. "But I don't see how that has to anything to do with anything."

"Let's see," Nathan says, as though honestly curious as to why anyone would think  _his_  family, of all families, insane. "Steven wants a live Compsognathus for Christmas. Kayla wants a Pteranodon so she doesn't have to rely on Mum or Dad driving her places, or public transportation. My mum wants another hair drier, because Dad stole her twenty-third one – yes, she's kept track that long – to make yet another robot. He wants technology that won't be created for another hundred years or so, assuming his latest guess is correct. No, none of those seem  _remotely_  crazy. I can see why you expect my gift to be normal amidst all of that."

Julia smiles. "Well, someone has to keep the relative sanity of your family, don't they?"

"I guess so," Nathan agrees. "As a matter of fact, I think my parents are secretly disappointed I didn't ask for a dinosaur or sabre-tooth or anything."

"Who's asked for a sabre-tooth?"

"That would be Kayla," Nathan answers with a smile. "She wanted a kitten, but instead of simply asking for a kitten – like one would in a normal family – she just  _had_  to ask for a sabre-tooth kitten. Of course."

"I think it's cute," Julia says.

"Oh, wonderful," Nathan replies sarcastically. "Kayla gets off for being insane because she's  _cute_. Lovely."

"Steven's cute, too."

"Oh, even better! I'm the only one who's not cute.  _I'm_  the only one who has to deal with the full-force blow of people thinking I'm insane," Nathan rants, really more disappointed than his sarcastic tone makes him appear.

"I think you're very cute," Julia says, giving him a quick kiss on the cheek. "And I know  _exactly_ what to get you, but I have to go fix it up. See you!" She gives him a one-armed hug as she gathers her things and then leaves.

Nathan stares after her, his face reddened in a blush, thinking that he might just go to his mother for girl help this time.


End file.
